New eateries opening at beach in Rye

RYE — Two new businesses, one offering hamburgers and the other ice cream, are opening near one another on Ocean Boulevard just in time for Memorial Day weekend.

Joey Cresta

RYE — Two new businesses, one offering hamburgers and the other ice cream, are opening near one another on Ocean Boulevard just in time for Memorial Day weekend.

Both businesses, 603 Burgers and The Beach Hut, are located across the street from public access to a portion of Wallis Sands beach popularly known as Pirates Cove, a reference to a restaurant that once stood at what is now The Surf Club.

603 Burgers has taken over the former home of Ocean Boulevard Pizza at 1215 Ocean Blvd. The pizza business folded after its owner, Bill Giles, retired in 2011. Property owner Peter Aikens said the business reopened as Ocean 12 last year, but its operators declined to renew their lease, opening the door for 603 Burgers.

The new burger joint's motto is "Live Free and Eat Fries." Its owners, Maggie and Gary Hatch, relocated from Bath, a remote town of 900 residents described online as the "covered bridge capital of New England."

Although 603 Burgers did not have much exposure in the small Grafton County town, the business did develop somewhat of a cult following for its fresh beef patties, which come in several signature varieties and a "build your own" option. A post on the establishment's Facebook page in April announcing the move to Rye garnered 99 comments from fans who were sorry to see it leave Bath.

While Gary Hatch described the move as a "very difficult decision," he said he and his wife have owned a home in Portsmouth for some time and always wanted to move permanently to the Seacoast.

"We've known this beach and we've walked this beach a million times," he said.

603 Burgers' menu is simple. Customers place a check mark in the box next to the item they want to order, and Hatch slides the paper menu down a clothesline to the cooks, who prepare the order on the spot. In addition to burgers, there are chicken and vegetarian sandwiches, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings, and frappes and floats.

"What we believe in is doing a few things very, very well," Hatch said. "We're just a simple, all-American burger stand."

While 603 Burgers opened May 16, Jim Murphy, the owner of another new establishment just on the other side of Wallis Road at 1191 Ocean Blvd., said he hopes to be open by Friday.

The Beach Hut is located at the Beach Hut Bungalows, which Murphy also lives in and rents out weekly in the summer and seasonally in the winter months. He said he spent much of his youth on the beach in Hampton, where he worked at such locales as the Ashworth by the Sea and the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom.

This is Murphy's first experience as a proprietor, and he said so far, the response has been encouraging.

"We're getting a very positive reception from all the neighbors and people that stop by. I'm optimistic," he said.

The site was a "fixer-upper," Murphy said. The former site of Jennifer's Crabs, a business that closed about six years ago, the building required significant electrical upgrades and other repairs.

"Everybody's excited for it because it's been sitting dormant for so long," manager Tom Esposito said.

The Beach Hut will offer ice cream, frozen yogurt, smoothies, shakes, non-alcoholic beverages, wraps, snacks, chowder, and coffee and tea. Murphy said he is doing all he can to bring everything together for a Friday opening.

"I'm working 24 hours a day to attempt to do that," he said. "We'll bust our butt to make it happen."

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